Subject: Process Instrumentation

Topic: Measurement of Density or Specific Gravity

Note: Micro Manometers
▪ An important problem and a fundamental flaw associated with the operation of
pneumatic extraction systems is their high energy consumption. One way to reduce
energy consumption is to use a frequency converter to adjust the speed of the fan motor
▪ Most air velocity measurements are carried out with modern portable digital
micromanometer equipped with Prandtl tubes, that have a built-in pressure conversion
tool.
▪ In order to determine the air flow rate through the section, velocity measurements in
pneumatic extraction installations are carried out, that is the evaluation deter- mination
of the dynamic pressure in the test section.
Introduction:
▪ All matter has mass and volume. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter an object has. Its
measure is usually given in grams (g) or kilograms (kg).
▪ Volume is the amount of space an object occupies. There are numerous units for volume
including liters (l), meters cubed (m3 ), and gallons (gal).
▪ Mass and volume are physical properties of matter and may vary with different objects.
▪ For example, it is possible for two pieces of metal to be made out of the same material yet for
one piece to be bigger than the other. If the first piece of metal is twice as large as the second,
then you would expect that this piece is also twice as heavy (or have twice the mass) as the
first. If both pieces of metal are made of the same material the ratio of the mass and volume
will be the same.
▪ Density is the most fundamental of all the physical properties. By measuring the density of a
process stream, one can determine is concentration, composition or, in the case of fuel, its
calorific value.
▪ Density is defined as mass per unit volume of a substance under fixed condition.
𝑚
ρ= Kg/m3
𝑣

Where  = density
m = mass of a substance in Kg
v = volume of a substance in m3
▪ Density of a substance depends on the temperature and pressure.
▪ Increasing the temperature, substance generally increase its volume and therefore decreases
its density.
▪ Specific Gravity (SG) also known as relative density, is an abstract number expressing the
ratio of the density of one substance to the density of another reference substance, both
obtained at the same temperature and pressure.
▪ There are two basic approaches for density measurements.
(1) Static density measurement and
(2) Dynamic density measurements
▪ Different methods must be employed for solid, liquid and gas. The various methods for the
measurement of density are as follows:
1.Magnetic Method: (Magnetic densitometer)
▪ It is used for both liquids and gases. It allows the determination of effects of pressure and temperature
down to cryscopic range.
▪ It consists of a small ferromagnetic cylinder encased in a glass jacket. This float is suspended
electro—magnetically and totally immersed in the medium whose density has to be measured.
▪ A pair of search coils detect the position of float. The float selected should be slightly more dense
than the fluid density so that it always tends to sink.
▪ If the density of fluid decreases, the float will start sinking. The change in position is detected by the
search coils results in an unbalanced signal to the amplifier and demodulator. This current is
measured, as a measure of fluid density.
Advantages:
▪ Allows the determination of effects of pressure and temperature down to cryoscopic range.
▪ High accuracy and used for wide range
Disadvantages:
▪ Deposits on float results in error. So, not recommended for slurry.
2. Vibrational method:
▪ Vibration densitometers are used for gas density measurements.
▪ They make use of the Phenomena that the natural frequency of oscillation varies with the mass of the
oscillating body containing fluid in it or surrounded by it. Therefore, if the mass varies with density,
the frequency of oscillation can be used to measure it.
▪ The natural frequency vibrating body is directly proportional to the stiffness and inversely
proportional to the combined Masses of the body and the fluid. Hence, expression for the frequency
may be written as

𝐾
Resonant frequency =
m + kρ
K = system stiffness M = the transducer mass
k = the system constant 𝜌 = fluid density.
▪ Here, we can use either magnetic driver or piezoelectric drives for setting the element in vibration and
maintaining its natural resonance.
Coriolis densitometer :
▪ This type of vibration densitometer is based on the coriolis principle, The device is similar in
vibrating tube methods. It comprises of mechanical sensors and an electronic signal
processing transmitter.
▪ The sensor tubes are fixed at one end and free at another end. The tubes are vibrated at their
natural frequency. The vibration of tube is detected and related to the mass and flow rate of
the fluid.
▪ The mass of the fluid in the tube is equal to fluid density multiplied by the volume. Since the
volume is constant, the frequency of oscillations can be directly related to fluid density.
3. Weight method of density measurement :
▪ Density is the weight of fixed volume. When an object of fixed volume and of a known
density is submerged in a process fluid, the resulting buoyant force can be detected as an
indication of process density. The various types of weight densitometers are as follows.
▪ I. Pycnometric densitometer:
▪ Pycnometers are static devices used for measuring densities of liquids and gases.
▪ Pycnometers are manufactured as fixed volume vessels which can be filled with simple fluids.
▪ The density of the fluid is measured by weighing the sample with the vessel. The simplest
version consists of a glass vessel in the shape of a bottle with a long stopper containing a
capillary hole.
▪ The capillary is used to determine the exact volume of the liquid. The density 𝜌𝑠 of the liquid
may be directly calculated from the equation given as
𝜌1 V = 2 - 1
where V = volume of fluid at particular temperature
1 = weight of the empty pycnometer
2 = weight of pycnometer containing a volume of liquid
▪ Pycnometers are also used for the measurement of density of porous or powdered solid
substances.
II. Hydrostatic weighing densitometer:
▪ These are suitable for solid and liquid density measurements only.
▪ The density of solid is often measured by weighing it first in air, and afterward in a
suitable liquid of known density. The later weighing is done by suspending the thin wire.
It can be written as
𝜌2 V = 2 - 1
where 2 = weight of plummet when suspended in liquid
1 = weight of plummet in air
V = volume of plummet
▪ Hydrostatic densitometers must be installed horizontally on a solid base.
III. Balance type densitometers:
▪ Balance type densitometers are based on gravity and / or weighing principles and they are
suitable for liquid and gas density measurement. The commonly used balance type
densitometers are:
1. Balanced flow vessel method
2. Buoyancy hydrostatic weighing method
3. Chain balanced flow method
4. Buoyancy gas balanced method
4.Hydrometers:
▪ Hydrometers are direct reading instrument, most commonly used for measurement of density
of liquids.
▪ Hydrometers used buoyancy principle as the main technique of operation. According to
Archimedes principle, when a body is immersed in the fluid, it loses weight equal to the
weight of the liquid which is displaced.
▪ The hydrometer element is a constant weight body which if immersed in fluids with different
densities, will displace different volumes of fluid. Therefore, the degree of stem scale
submersion is an indication of fluid density.
▪ Hydrometers can indicate the reading as density, specific gravity or percentage of solution
Advantage:
These are low cost, frictionless, good resolution, accurate and are compatible with most
corrosive fluids.
5.Radiation Densitometers:
▪ These are suitable for both solids and liquids under gain dynamic process. The principle of
working of radiation densitometers (radioactive density measurement) is based on the
radioactive isotopes decay emitting radiation in the form of particles or waves which may be
used tier density measurement.
▪ A radiation densitometer consists of a radioactive source beaming through a process pipe and
receiver system to measure the amount of transmittal radiation.
▪ When the gamma rays pass through process fluid, they are absorbed depending upon the
volume, mass and density of sampler.
▪ By comparing the amount of rays entered into the known volume sample with the rays
detected at the end, the value of absorption may be determined accurately.
▪ An increase in density rays. results in reduced output current because a denser process fluid
will absorb more of the gamma rays.
Advantages:
1. The sensor does not touch the sample hence there is no blockage on the path of liquid.
2. Multiphase liquids can be measured.
6. Refractometric Densitometers:
• These are suitable for density measurement of gases and clear liquids only.
• They are essentially optical instruments operating on the principles of refraction of light
traveling in liquid or gas media.

▪ Depending on the characteristics of the samples, measurement of refractive index can be

made in a variety of ways such as critical angle, collimation and displacement techniques.
▪ Usually, an in-line sensing head is employed, where by a sensing window, commonly blown
as a prism, is melted by the product to be measured.
▪ They are often used for the control of the adulteration of liquids of common use.